Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune – without the words,
And never stops at all …
– Emily Dickinson
This week, I thought it would be interesting to write about hope and the ways in which it manifests itself in our lives. As an emotional state, hope is the opposite of despair. Everyone hopes for something, and it is hope that often sustains us through challenging times. Hope is also about anticipation and looking forward to things we want. Many believe that hope can become a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.
“Hope literally opens us up. It removes the blinders of fear and despair and allows us to see the big picture. We become creative, unleashing our dreams for the future. This is because deep within the core of hope is the belief that things can change. No matter how awful or uncertain they are at the moment, things can turn out for the better. Possibilities exist. Belief in this better future sustains us. It keeps us from collapsing in despair. It infuses our bodies with the healing rhythms of positivity. It motivates us to tap into our signature capabilities and inventiveness to turn things around. It inspires us to build a better future.” (Source: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/positivity/200903/why-choose-hope)
Example Poems:
Example Poems:
For Reflection Before You Begin Writing:
1. What do you hope for?
2. What have you hoped for?
3. How have your hopes been realized?
4. How have your hopes ended in sadness or disappointment?
5. How have you dealt with the fallout of ruined hopes?
6. It’s been written that lies shatter hope. How has a lie shattered your hope?
7. How do you “live in hope?”
8. How can you relate the term “be careful what you hope for” to a personal experience?
9. What metaphor can you create for “hope,” and how can you work it into a poem?
10. How can you express what "hope" means in the context of your personal faith system?
